Repairing railway-rails.



E. THOMSON. REPAIRING RAILWAY RAILS.

Patented Oct. 14', 1913.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1913.

Mtnesses:

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ELIHU. THOMSON, 0E sWAMPs'coT -T', MASSACHUSETTS.

REPAIRING RAILWAY-RAILS;

Spcific'atio'nbf Lhtters Patent.

Application filed May 26, 15513.: Serial No. 769,949.; I.

excessive bum-ping at jointsrofs'uchrails or;

frogs'andathe like; a common rexperiencey especially" on; i street railwaygr-andaadefebi which is always ten'din :toa accentuate-itself 1. if not :soon*repairedurzardinaryi methods of repair, :suchas; replacement-i of: lworn' mails," cutting off: theworm ends 'and replacementzofi theiso shortened: rails, oftenentails: excessive expense owing to th'e. fact ;that 'the roadway itself-has zto bezdugi mp:- for theiirenevwalspor for: the shi'ftingi 10f.- the:-Sli'ontened1 railsi so sas; to again bringzthemiinto linerend itol iendv l v It is the aim? Of. my -presentaini'entien to avoid= this: delay: and expense; attended: as it is :-with serious interruption: :to trafiiC'I-by; a'es pairing the: rail) P'surfaces ipreqterablyi in situ; 1 thou ghthe 4 methods rot any: invention :may also vbei applied tor-:restore the-:baringiSur faces: of rails: th'at haveibeenotaken iip pre=- paratory tore-laying them,%:but in Ethe latter case it is notso: imp'ortant;'as theiwornparts may often bel'best'cutout-n2.

Although with-sufficient pressure properly applied by .-my: meansrprovided,1 the repair desiredmay beEmade on colds railgl prefer to apply local heating-means I toisthe' part of' the rail.- structure which "h as\ been worn-i iora depressed: so =assto :raise the temperature of! the particular part concerned to a sufiicieiitrdegeeto render-thesame: plastic? under pres- Sure, aands1-then= either '1 simultaneously with t-heuheatingu or immediately subsequently theretoiand before cooling has :taken place, I apply mechanical pressure laterally to the? rail-ihead on surfaceyorubelow it,'-=to p.inchait,'='

so to speak' upwardlmjand so:elei ate theitopi:

surface: or r bearing surface: to I its original:

place 501" level'ior .a little beyond3fafter'whichy ifaiecessaryg a local grinding to-:2. small plane? corresponding to'xthat of the adjacent parts of the rail: to those treated? In the present" invention "-1 have illustrated -fluid= ressuremeans for .-a a l in ";.=.-mechanical Patented oat. 14,1913;

amount'brings the surfaceuponm'hich the wheels run to a substantially-Tight line-0r pressure laterally tothe rail'head lorv surface. Forathe=local.-heating; ;I mayrapply electric current, )I- "electric '=heat-i-ng.-'in any r-of its form or -I ma. ruse blow )i )es with' airor oxygen blast; under pressure; EWitlliIlClT fuels," such ras hydrogen; acetylene, hydrocarbon: gas =orvoil vapors; For t-hezmeehanical :i 'o-rg ing pressure I inay.-use hydraulic or screw jacksewheresuc-h may :be most-aconveniently' applitlgxbut .-asrabove zreferredk-to I have preferred; tos illustrate ".flllld pressure; means;

such. as rshydra ulic' means: for applying.- the? lateral pressureffor forgingais The operation remaininglimplaco :i-na the road-bed: and -with f a minimhmziremowa'l zor-=disturbance: of; the J paving: 0I'-"IO&d=.lin1t6li2ll adjoining? the reas 2:], whole 'lnary abe en'iployedvx rith the" rails" pairedt-surface;

My invention is illustrated in the suboined drawingsiaccompanying/ this specificatiomand ofiwhichee- Fig unen-l represents ta condition: 0f= railv '1 surface: commonly found beforemepaar "F1 2. a rail iseotion corresponding: thereto; Fig:

3 represents'fthei :applicationfl of: hydraulic pressure laterally-3'00 sth' "rail hea'd whil'e-thew rails. are coldior :subsaiuentl to the heating 2.

of the worn section. 10

=zzthe: rail withblowpipes F1g414 represents? the preferred form.

of myvinventionqin' which electrical lieatii meansrfoiheating the railwlocally are "c bined with zthei'hydraulie "means iE PP Y' ing P ssure laterally 0the:railvliea i' 5 represents section: taken 'on theline'5-5,

Fig.3 4.;2'Figr6 shows thegrail' as restored-.ziiter the-operatio-ni'of applying pressuire laterally" thereto! to press metal: from? i them-ail.= up-;; wardlyr towarderits tread: 7 the: condition after thus treating theirailiand: the'subs. sequent-grinding; thereof by. a guided grinds ingrWheeh; Fig. .8 showssa mode ofia-pplying In-rall the: figures-act the: drawing. like; fig-2:-

ures represent like-v parts 1 heat by blowpipes where such-heating means cates the original surface.

In Fig. 1,-1 and 2 indicate parts of meeting rails, or rail ends in abutment, and at 3 a hollowed, battered or depressed part of the rail head or bearing surface say, of rail 1. It is more or less below the general line 44 of the true rail or original contour. In Fig. 2, the end section of rail end 1 at the dotted vertical line, Fig. 1 is indicated and the upper horizontal full line, Fig. 2, indi- In Fig. 3 the same rail section is seen clamped by the head only, between two heavy pieces 5 and 6; one on the outside of the rail and the other on the inside thereof.

By means of the construction shown in Fig. 3, after the worn section of the rail head has been heated by means of blowpipes, such as shown in Fig. 8, if the clamps 5 and 6 be pressed strongly together the metal of the rail is compressed and rises between them being prevented from moving downward by the web 11 of the rail below and as usual the presence of the fish plates 12 and 13 indicated. The form of the jaws orclamps is made such as to favor this result. The clamp 6 must be prevented from moving with respect to the rail as by looking it over the inner edge of the tread as at 39 or making it extend more along the length of the rail than does the clamp 5, or both. The clamp 5 therefore is the part which moves relatively to the rail position and so effects the restoring the railsurface without disturbing the inner line of the railhead. This is indicated in the plan, Fig. 5, where .the clamps are shown in section above'the rail itself.

While I have referred to the construction Fig. 3 as being utilized after the worn sec-. tion of the rail' head has been heated by means of blowpipes it willbe understood that if sufficient pressure were applied to the clamps 5 and 6 in a lateral direction with respect to the head of the rail, metal therefrom could be raised upwardly from the latter to restore the worn surface thereof while the rail was cold. I prefer however to heat the rail prior to applying the pressure clamps or simultaneously therewith as by means of the electrical forging machine illustrated in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 4 I have combined with the hydraulic means for applying pressure to the clamps 5 and 6 an electrical forging device mounted in cooperative relation therewith in order that the heating of the rail and the application of pressure laterally may be performed either simultaneously or by independent operations as desired, but the mechanism being combined in a single operative structure. This electrical forging device comprises essentially a transformer of the low voltage type, the primary coil of which is suspended by means of a boom or support on the frame of the machine, the low voltage secondary coil being hung upon and embracing the primary. In this case the secondary terminals extend into and constitute the abutting ends of the clamps where the latter engage the rail head. This type of machine furnishes a heavy electric current to the electrodes or clamps 5 and 6. If these electrodes be pressed together, by means of the pressure device illustrated, simultaneously with the passage of heavy electric currents through the electrodes and rail section to be heated or immediately subsequent to said heating, the metal of the rail is compressed and rises between the electrodes or clamps in the manner referred to heretofore.

In Fig. 3, it will be seen that with my improved apparatus it is necessary to remove a very small portion from the road bed 7 in the immediate neighborhood of the clamps and 6, the road surfacing being illustrated at 8,-9, etc. This is quite a decided advantage over the necessity heretofore experienced of having to tear up considerable of the road-bed in order to make a repair, with the accompanying inconvenience to traffic in the vicinity. In this figure, 10 represents the head of the rail, 11 the web, 12 and 13 the usual fish-plates, 14 and 15 the usual bolts therethrough, etc. The clamps 5 and 6 are carried by a supporting frame 16, suitably mounted upon a truck (not shown), in operative relation with the rails tobe repaired. The repairing device mayv also have a movement on the truck transversely of the length of the rails; that is, sidewise, in order that after arepair has been made upon one rail it may be readily moved to be applied in operative relation with theiparallel rail. The clamps 5 and 6 are pivotally secured to the link 17 of the frame 16 by means of the fulcrum studs 18 and 19. The upper portion of the frame 16 has mounted upon it or suitably formed therein a cylinder 20 which may be utilized for the reception of fluid under pressure from a suitable source of hydraulic supply or for the reception of compressed air, depending upon which fluid is chosen for the operating means. The pipe 21 connects the cylinder 20 with the source of fluid supply, the said source not being shown in the drawing. A suitable regulating valve 22 is provided upon the pipe 21 for the purpose of regulating the supply of operating fluid to the cylinder 20.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 wherein an electrical forging device is combined with the clamp operating means, the primary coil 23 is mounted upon the link 17, being suitably electrically insulated therefrom by the insulating piece 24, 25. The secondary coil 26 is hung upon or embraces. the primary coil23, and the coil 26 hasflexible secondary terminals 27 and 28 which extend ened steel, or anyother suitable metal whichinto "and- -are' connected: wi th* the-'-'clamps 5 and 6 at 29, 30 and 31;82 respectively -soasto interveneisbetw' een therail' 'h'ead-yandthe clamps 5 and=6. -For the purpose of appli cation of my invention-to different forms of rail head, the ends -or frail engaging faces" of-the electrodes 30 and 31 areprovided in separate or "removable tpiecesg these pieces having the particular formor contour tie-- sired 'tomatch the particularform of railhead being repaired; They may beoi hard will not be itself'injuriouslyafiected-forthe purpose by the high temperature generated' by' the? heavy electriccurrent-conveyed to the rail head. The -pieces arethus -madeeasily removable in order that theymay be exchanged for, others of diiierentform or shape, and for the purpose off-permanently fastening them-in place during the opera tion of repair they are ,connected to the clamps bymeans of'the bolts '33-j'and'34 thelatter being suitably insulated frdm'th'esun" rounding metal ofrthe'clamps -as shdwnin Fig; 5. Iif'the' case oftheclainp 6,-the re movable rail engaging 'faces" are insulated from the clamp 0r electrode proper, by means of insulation 36y37i' 5 In'Fig. 5, it 'willbeseen-thatth clamp-6 has a greaterextent in parallel-relationwith the inner line of the raiL'than'hasthe clamp 5 with 'the outer line thereof-r This. construction constitutes" clamp "6 substam tially an anvil and renders' it relatively 'immovable-with respect to c1ampy5. This dif' ferential area of the clamps permits of the inner line of the rail head being maintained in its original form; This efi'ect fit will be readily 'seen is :very jessential where -it is necessary to preserve the*'origina l'- wheel gage intact.

Fig. 16 will -indicatethe-'formtaken-by the'rail head under the treatment of myinvention the dotted'lines showing the-formbefore the treatment 'was'begunu The wheel---' bearingzsurface or tread' .will'be seen to -be-- raised or bulged upward. If skilfully donethis restores the top surface -to its originalplane, or a little beyond; In 'the latter case-- the-slight excess of'metal :lifted may be removed by traversing the upper surface by a guided grinding wheel as-is usual in such cases. The result is indicated in-Fig. 7, whereit will be seen that the" metal so 'restored to the tread is in reality, as it were, taken from the outer part of the-head, reducing its width somewhat. Thi'sprocess may be again repeated when'the'rail wears a second time, and again and again repeated,

and theform--of the:.outer clamp-5, Fig.5, may be made so as to actually lift metal from under the head so that the form -ofthe section at last becomes as indicated in again be prolonged byelectrically welding to the outsi'de of-therail-head a strip of metal-in pla'ceof-the'deficiency so caused, butas-thatds nopartof the present invention=-it- Will-- not be necessary to describe it, as it-is moreover 'like'an ordinary case of electric Welding.

While 1- have described the preferred form of my. invention as being a device of the type illustrated in Fig.4 it will be understood that it is possible to carry out the object of myinvention by somewhat diflerent --methods andforthis reason I have illustrated theapplication of separate heating means for heating the rail head before applying the pressure-'clampsof Fig. 3. Such heating means is illustrated in Fig. 8, wherein it is of blowpipesmay be used with combustible gas-or vapor and with an air blast or one be provided with-a suitable support which embracesor rests uponthe rail. \Vhile I have illustrated bnly one blowpipe -38 in a multiple of*"blowpipes-= might be used alongside. with their flames so concentrated upon-thewonr'spot or section-as to rapidly heat the latter to't-he desired point for working. Such bloivpipes of sufficient power are already known in the art of. heating metal and the liken-They are generally jacketed with fireproof heat non-conductor forming a heating chamber close to the metal surlface, so preventing radiationand: atv the same timelocalizing and concentrating the heatinggefiect' to the part desired to be worked:v As soon as-such'a temperature of therail head' a's renders it plastic is reached clampsforcibly'moved together, as in Fig. 3, is applied quickly to finish the work of raising metal fromthe rail to restore the worn surface thereof.

' The means of. repair of my invention, it will be evident to those skilled in the art, may be used without substantial difi'erences to frogs when worn,-or to other rail structures. They may also be applied to therest-oration and repair-of similar structures ordinarily incapable of being handled or otherwise treated;

. The particular-merit of my present invention is that fit allows-restoration of surfacesand -prolongation ofwearing portions of railsand the like in situ, or without disturbing the road-bed. to any considerable extent, andsosaves large expense for repairs and renewals as ordinarily made.

In accordance With the provisions of the dotted lines, Fig. 7. l/Vhen this has become the case the further life of the rail end can patent- .statutes, l have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with of oxygen or' a mixture of-air and oxygen.- The blowpipe illustrated in this figure may be of the type to be heldby handor it may the figure' it is conceivablethat in practice shown'that for heatingof the railhead a set locallyyas in local annealing of armor plate thebl'owpipesare removedand the set -'of the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

lVhat I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of repairing and restoring worn surfaces of railway rails which consists in laterally pressing and raising a portion of the rail toward its tread by applying pressure to the outer side of the rail head and maintaining undisturbed the inner or wheel flange engaging surface of the rail head.

2. The method of repairing and restoring worn surfaces of railway rails which consists in laterally pressing and raising metal by applying pressure to a restricted area of the outer side of the rail head and support ing a relatively greater area of the inner or wheel flange engaging surface of the rail in the line of application of such lateral pressure for preserving unaltered the said SUI: face. i V

3. An apparatus for repairing the worn section of a railway rail head having, in combination, means for heating the section of the rail head, and means for laterally pressingand raising the heated section having provision for maintaining undisturbed the original inner line of the rail head.

4. An apparatus for repairing the worn section of a railway rail headhaving, combination, means for heating the section of the rail head, an anvil, a'pressure tool,

and means for forcing together the pressure tool and anviL 5. An apparatus for. repairing the worn section of a railway rail head having,

combination, electrodes engaging both sides of the rail section, one of said electrodes constituting an anvil for maintaining the'inner line of the rail head undisturbed and .the

other electrode constituting a pressure tool,

and means for forcing the pressure tool toward the anvil to restore metal to the worn surface of the rail head.

6. An apparatus for repairing the worn section of a railway rail head, having in combination, an anvil for engaging the inner surface of the rail head and maintaining undisturbed the original inner line of the rail head, and a pressure tool for engaging the outer surface of the rail head opposite the anvil, said anvil and pressure tool having removable rail engaging faces adapted to be removed and exchanged for rail engaging Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. 0."

faces of different shape to conform to different shapes of rail head.

7. An apparatus for repairing the worn section of a railway rail head, having in combination, electrodes engaging opposite sides of the rail head for heating the worn section, one of said electrodes engaging the inner surface of the rail head and serving as an anvil for maintaining undisturbed the original inner line of the rail head and another of said electrodes engaging the outer surface of the rail head and serving as a tool for setting up the heated section, said anvil and setting up tool having removable rail engaging faces adapted to be removed and exchanged for rail engaging faces of-difi'erent shapes to conform to different shapes of rail head.

8. An apparatus for repairing the worn section of a railway rail, having in combination, relatively movable electrodes for engaging opposite sides of the worn section of the rail head, means for supplyingcurrent to the electrodes for heating the worn section, and means for relatively moving the electrodes toward each other to restore the worn section.

9. An apparatus for repairing the worn section of a railway rail, having in combination, a pressure tool engaging the outer edge of the tread where worn for laterally and upwardly pressing metal from. the rail toward its head or tread, an anvil opposite the pressure tool and engaging the inner line of the tread or head for a greater length than the-pressure tool engages the outer surface thereof, and means for relatively forcing the I pressure tooland anvil together.

10. 'An apparatus for repairing the worn section of a railway rail, having 1I1 combination, electrodes engaglng opposite sides of the wornsection of the rail head, means for supplying current to the electrodes for heating the worn section, the electrode which engages the outer surface of the rail head serving as a pressure tool and the electrode which engages the inner surface of the rail head serving as an anvil and engaging a greater length of the rail head than the pressure tool, and means for relatively forcing the two electrodes together to restore the worn portion of the rail head.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses. ELIHU THOMSON.

Witnesses:

FRANK G. HA'I'IIE, HENRY A. ANDERSEN.

Commissioner of Patents. 

